The Inspiring Ending of Sound of Freedom: A Story of Courage and Resilience

The Journey to Rescue Roc\u00edo

In the film, Tim rescued a young boy named Miguel after he was kidnapped, forced into sex trafficking, and purchased. However, Miguel's sister, Roc\u00edo, was still missing and in possession of the traffickers who stole the two kids at the movie's beginning. Tim promised Miguel that he would save Roc\u00edo, and he clung to that vow throughout Sound of Freedom. Tim even resigned from the Department of Homeland Security to continue his pursuit after his boss told him to abandon the mission and return to the United States. Sound of Freedom chronicled Tim's journey to find Roc\u00edo and save as many children as he could and is inspiring audiences everywhere.

Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard looking intensely in Sound of Freedom.

In the lead-up to the Sound of Freedom ending, Tim tracked down the woman who kidnapped Miguel and Roc\u00edo, Katy-Gisselle, in Colombia, where he met with Vampiro, another Sound of Freedom character based on a real person. He is a former cartel accountant who turned his life around to save children from sex traffickers. Together, and with the help of Colombian police, they formulated a plan to infiltrate Katy-Gisselle's compound. Ultimately, Tim, Vampiro, and the others saved 54 children from Katy-Gisselle's child sex trafficking operation, but Roc\u00edo was not one of them. Although rescuing 54 kids and returning them to their homes was a significant accomplishment in and of itself, Tim made a promise to Miguel, and he had come too far to go back on his word.

Lucás Ávila as Miguel Aguilar looking concerned in Sound of Freedom

Tim learned from one of Katy-Gisselle's partners that they sold Roc\u00edo to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. Unfortunately, the guerrilla group's location was out of the Colombian police force's jurisdiction since the rebel territory was considered a no-fly zone for the government. Tim and Vampiro devised a plan to pose as doctors, who could enter the region for medical emergencies, and the Colombian police agreed to the new operation. The mission was on, but when Tim and Vampiro attempted to enter the territory, the rebels only allowed one of them in. Tim forged ahead while Vampiro stayed back. The ex-DHS agent discovered Roc\u00edo with El Alacr\u00e1n, a rebel leader, and killed the man. After a shootout with the other guerrilla group members, Tim rescued Roc\u00edo and brought her to safety. He finally completed his mission and reunited Roc\u00edo with her father and Miguel at the end of Sound of Freedom.

Tim Ballard and Vampiro in a boat in Sound of Freedom.

Tim Ballard's Courageous Decision

Sound of Freedom was created to bring the scary and hard truths about child sex trafficking into the spotlight, but it was also a way to tell Tim Ballard's story. The movie follows Tim's life and pursuit to end human trafficking very closely, and the section of the film where he quit his job happened in real life. Just like Caviezel's character, Tim wanted to save children instead of just busting the pedophiles who used them for their own entertainment. The interaction with Miguel was based on reality and prompted Tim to go to Colombia to search for Roc\u00edo. Unfortunately, when he was there, his boss called off the DHS-sanctioned mission and ordered him to return home.

Mira Sorvino as Katherine Ballard talking on a phone in Sound of Freedom.

With encouragement from his wife, Katherine, Tim quit his job to rescue the children from being trafficked. He defied orders because the pull to save kids was too strong, especially since he had multiple children himself. As explained in Sound of Freedom, Tim believed that 'God's children are not for sale,' which has become the movie's tagline and was his driving force to complete the mission in Colombia, even if that meant losing his job.

Tim Ballard looking at a photograph in Sound of Freedom.

Tim Ballard's Continuing Mission

The Sound of Freedom ending contains an epilogue that explains what happened to Tim after he rescued Roc\u00edo from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. He returned to the United States, where he got to work to pass laws allowing the government to cooperate with foreign officials on sex trafficking cases. Tim's mission in Colombia was so difficult because he was on foreign soil, and that was something he knew had to change if they were going to save more children in the future.

A mission team on the beach in Sound of Freedom.

Following Operation Triple Take in Colombia and testifying before the United States Congress to pass the laws, Tim wanted to continue going down this new path. So he founded Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) in 2013. O.U.R. is a non-profit organization that focuses on saving children and others from sex trafficking, and Tim is still involved with O.U.R. today.

Custom image of Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard with money in the background in Sound of Freedom

The Unexpected Success of Sound of Freedom

Sound of Freedom comes from Angel Studios, a media company and film distribution studio that produces a lot of faith-based content. Given that the size of the company is rather small, it was surprising to learn that Sound of Freedom did so well at the box office. Sound of Freedom made $14 million on its opening day — July 4, 2023 — and its earnings only grew from there, becoming a surprise box office sleeper hit earning over $250 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo).

Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard talking to someone in a parking garage in Sound of Freedom.

Not many people believed that Sound of Freedom would be a box office success but it ended up outgrossing Hollywood blockbusters like Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny at the domestic box office. One of the main contributors to the movie's triumph is word of mouth. There was also a narrative of Sound of Freedom being a political movie which, whether intended by the filmmakers or not, was adopted by right-leaning pundits who further promoted the movie.

José Zúñiga as Roberto Aguilar looking skeptical in Sound of Freedom